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Walken 2008
Christopher Walken - Biography *Born: March 31, 1943 Astoria, Queens, New York *Real Name: Ronald Walken (Ronnie) *Father: Paul Walken (from Germany) *Mother: Rosalie Walken (from Scotland) *Siblings: Ken Walken, Glenn Walken *Spouse: Georgianne Walken (since 1969) *Current Residences: New York City & Wilton, Connecticut *Education: Professional Children's School, Hofstra University Born to immigrant parents in New York, Ronald Walken was the youngest of three boys. While his father ran the little bakery he owned, the boys' mother was a member of the Stage Mothers' Society and was always bringing the little ones to television auditions and photo shoots. Young Ronnie's first role was posing with cats for a calendar when he was three years old, and by the time he was ten, he and his brothers were enrolled in tap dancing classes and regularly performed on television variety shows. In their free time, the boys would help their father with the bakery and go to Manhattan to find little jobs on television and in the theater. When he was 15, during a brief job working with a circus lion tamer, Ronnie appeared in the off-Broadway play J.B. (starring Christopher Plummer). He later graduated from the Professional Children's School and spent a year a Hofstra University on Long Island. The following spring, he and his brother Glenn were cast by their tap instructor in the off-Broadway Musical Best Foot Forward, along with a little girl from their acting lessons, Liza Minelli. For the next two and a half years Ronnie acted in musical theater, and met Georgianne Thon during a touring production of West Side Story. They later married, in 1969. At age 22, Monique Van Vooren, who was working with Walken, decided to call him Christopher, and he stuck with it. The name first appeared on the bill for Baker Street in 1965. Chris then performed a number of dramatic roles on stage, combating extreme stage fright, and went on to win the Clarence Derwent Award for his performance of King Phillip in The Lion in Winter. Christopher's film career began when he was 25, with minor roles in a number of films, including that of Annie's suicidal brother in Woody Allen's Annie Hall. Soon after, he won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in The Deer Hunter, and also starred in the critically loathed Heaven's Gate. His career never slowed down, and Chris continued to be cast in a wide range of films, including the last MGM musical, Pennies from Heaven. Choreographed by his former tap teacher, this movie earned him glowing reviews from critics and legendary tap-dancers Fred Astaire and Gene Kelley. Christopher Walken has acted in nearly one hundred films in his lifetime, and well over that many stage performances, encompassing every style and genre imaginable. He and his wife are happily married and working around the world. Recently, in addition to becoming one of SNL's most popular hosts, Walken has averaged nearly five movies per year, testament to his skill, dedication, and talent even at the age of 62. Now, more active than ever, Christopher Walken has realized that the state of his country is in dismay, and the politicians in charge care less for the citizens they serve and more about fattening their resumes and campaign chests. Having residences both in rural Connecticut and upper-west Manhattan, he sees that all walks of life are becoming disgruntled and apathetic towards the American government, and feels a duty, as a child of the American public, to restore the peace, prosperity, and greatness of the United States. The Walken Platform These are the issues that need solutions now, and Christopher Walken is not afraid to address them. He wants his supporters and opponents to know that he is clear in his ideals and will fight to lead America to a better place. Campaign Finance Reform "I believe that campaign finance is a very tough issue, with good points on both sides; but I feel, as a wealthy American, that I should have no more say than even the least fortunate American citizen. Free speech in politics is about the voices of all those who support you, not who supports you with the biggest voice." Military Funding "I am a huge supporter of the military. I have always thought of them as our guardians, and when our guardians are making less than the poverty line, and children are suffering because their parents decided to join the military, well, I get very upset. I feel that instead of sending billions to the Pentagon's pet projects, it should go to the troops." Stem Cell Research "I'd met Chris Reeve several times before he died, and after having met him it is tough to be against [ stem cell research ]. I am for human knowledge and expansion of human life. If stem cells are one way to do that, I cannot support legislation to restrict this potentially life-saving research." The Walken 2008 Campaign We're getting started early, and you can help! If you're hoping for a new leader with confidence, intelligence, and diverse experience, here he is. Join our 'Spread the Word' campaign and let your friends, family, peers, and coworkers know that they can make a difference. Forget the run-of-the-mill special-interest bureaucrats from capitol hill and cast your vote for a man who answers to no one but the people. With your help, we can kick-start the Walken campaign before his opponents have their boots on. For your convenience, you may use the letter below to get the word out and start people talkin' about Walken. To: Friends, Family, and my fellow Americans Subject: Get America Back On Track! It's not too early to be thinking about the future of this country and who's going to lead it. Election after election we're given the "choice" between two unappealing candidates and have no choice but to vote for the one we dislike less. But now, that's about to change. Stepping up to the forefront of politics is a new type of leader, motivated by his love for his country, not special interest groups. His distinct image and captivating voice you already know, and now it's your chance to make him the leader of the people, for the people, by the people. That's right... Christopher Walken is running for President. Now, at this early stage of the campaign, is when the grass-roots voters like us can really influence the candidates we'll see in the elections. So take a few minutes to visit the Walken 2008 Home Page at http://www.walken2008.com, read about the man and his ideas, and send them a message of your support. This is how the system should work, and now's your chance to have your voice. Don't let it slip away! Sincerely, A caring citizen Actor Christopher Walken to run as Candidate in 2008 Presidential Race For Immediate Release New York - Early today, actor Christopher Walken, 62, held a private conference at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York in which he announced his intentions to run for the Presidency of the United States in the 2008 Election. Said the Queens native, “I have always been a follower of politics. My father was friends with the mayor of Schodack (NY) back in the 1940’s. We would walk the streets of Schodack and the people, they would wave to him. The children adored him. That is what I love to be, a man of respect and love.” From a statement by Walken's agent, Toni Howard: “Mr. Walken has greatly admired the celebrities who have entered politics and he wants to be able to give a good name and reputation to the acting community as well as the political community. As for going national with this news we have not made any plans for the immediate future." Because Mr. Walken is currently contracted for more than one film production, the Walken campaign manager Michael Hansee admitted that there would be relatively minimal publicity at this early stage. "Walken has a full plate right now, acting in a number of different films, and can't start any personal campaign work until these obligations are fulfilled," he commented. "We're looking to spread the word and build a little support base with our site, in preparation for a full campaign in early 2007." The campaign website is patriotic-themed, with the tag-line "To Get America Back on Track." Hansee stated that the campaign is hoping to drum up early support through their online presence, much as Howard Dean did in the 2004 race. Frequently Asked Questions Here to answer some of your most common questions is the manager of the Walken 2008 campaign, Mike Hansee. What is Mr. Walken's party affiliation? Mr. Walken believes that voters should vote based on the candidates' platforms, not their party affiliation. At this early stage, we are not affiliated with any political party, nor do we plan to be. Our platform is our message, and that's what we're running on. Down the road, if an established party chooses to back Mr. Walken, he may accept. When can I learn more about the platform? Please understand that the platform is being written by Mr. Walken himself, and will take some time. It is nearing completion, and addresses all of the issues you've been asking about: the war, immigration, abortion, gun control, education, the works. We hope to have a full release for you by the end of the week. Where is the campaign based? Because we're on a low-key grass-roots campaign right now, we are based out of small offices in New York, Alabama, Florida, California, Washington, and Colorado. Each micro-campaign, run by a handful of volunteers, is working on spreading the word locally as well as handling their share of your emails, phone calls, and letters. What is the real URL? Our offical website is at http://www.walken2008.com. We were initally running on walkenforpres.com while Richard (our web manager down in Florida) was getting walken2008.com set up, but we've fully migrated now and are happily running on our permanent home. Why aren't you announcing to CNN or the major media? The risk of running early is that the support can boom too fast and die out by the time we hit the primaries. Our goal right now is spreading the word and getting people interested. The major media are bloodhounds, and once they get wind, Mr. Walken will be forced to start actively campaigning to balance an inevitable onslaught of criticism from opponents. For the time being, while Mr. Walken is finishing some film projects and we're establishing our campaign, we'll stick to word-of-mouth communication. Believe me, it works very well. Where can I get 'Walken 2008' T-shirts, bumper stickers, etc.? You can get an array of merchandise by clicking the link on the front page.